Gold Coast tourism: Fight to secure more direct flights to Middle East and India for lucrative visitors

Re-establishing the Gold Coast’s links to the Middle East and direct flights to India are on the city’s to-do list in a bid to restore the city’s tourism sector to its pre-Covid glory. FIND OUT MORE

Re-establishing the Gold Coast’s links to the Middle East and direct flights to India are on Mayor Tom Tate’s to-do list in a bid to restore the city’s tourism sector to its pre-Covid glory. Mr Tate will later this month travel to the Middle East to renew the city’s ties there as the Gold Coast’s multi-pronged charm offensive to bring back overseas visitors ramps up.

It comes just days after the Bulletin revealed Experience Gold Coast bosses are preparing to fly to China in a bid to lure back what was the city’s biggest tourism market until the pandemic.

Mr Tate predicted it would take another two years for international tourism to return to 2019-era figures and defended his frequent overseas trips.

Mayor Tom Tate. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images for Football Australia)

“It will take two more years for us to return to pre-Covid figures but the next plan is that we are going to reopen to the Middle East,” he said.

“I will have a mayoral mission going over there (later) in October because you cannot do things by Zoom, you have to be there.

“The (Pacific) Airshow came about because I went to Huntington Beach and it cost 20 grand but we get more than $25m back a year into the economy and the second year of it was even higher.

“That’s where some people don’t get it – the best marking person to resurrect that international market is me”.

Camel tourists caravan walking on sunset desert near Dubai skyline.

The Mayor’s itinerary for the trip is yet to be determined but he has previously undertaken missions to the United Arab Emirates, visiting Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Mr Tate said India was another key market for the city.

“It’s a key market and we have to try and get it,” he said.

Tourists from India are already worth more than $27m to the Gold Coast economy.

It was revealed earlier this year that India visitation had recovered by almost 45 per cent against pre-pandemic levels.

Securing a leg of the hugely-popular Indian Premier League cricket to Carrara Stadium and Bollywood productions at the city’s new film studios which are planned for Yatala are also on the wishlist.

Taj Mahal, India

Business and tourism leaders have urged for India to be put front and centre, citing its lucrative market.

Village Roadshow chief operating officer Bikash Randhawa described India as “Australia’s most under-utilised market”.

“The markets is huge, the incentives out of India are massive and the pie is incredibly lucrative,” he said.

“We need that market here because they want to go to theme parks, shop, eat at restaurants and have adventures.

“Village Roadshow has boots on the ground in India and the feedback we get is that tourism bodies and the state government must invest heavily in incentives so larger tourist groups, conventions and corporate groups come here.”

Village roadshow COO Bikash Randhawa. Picture Glenn Hampson

A Bulletin report in August showed a sharp decline in international visitors passing through Gold Coast Airport, highlighting the loss of direct international connections outside Australia and New Zealand.

Tourism Research Australia’s International Visitor Survey shows the city generated $1.131 billion in expenditure from internationals in the 12 months to the end of March.

That was down $228 million on pre-pandemic figures recorded at the same time five years ago – a 16.7 per cent decline.

Only Melbourne fared worse in dollar terms, with international visitor expenditure in the Victorian capital down $727 million – a nine per cent drop on 2019.